Sen. Slap Leads Senate Passage of Bill to Support Women in Manufacturing

HARTFORD – Today, State Senator Derek Slap, Chair of the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee, led Senate passage of legislation that will expand access to manufacturing workforce training for women.

The legislation will increase opportunities for women in manufacturing by:

-Requiring the Office of Workforce Strategy prioritize the inclusion of and outreach to women in the Connecticut Career Accelerator program

-Requiring regional workforce investment boards that operate youth manufacturing programs to market their programs to female high school students

-Requiring Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) to offer career and financial counseling services for female students who apply to participate in the manufacturing program

“Women are severely underrepresented in manufacturing jobs, an industry with great earning potential and significant hiring needs,” said Sen. Slap. “This legislation uses existing resources and ensures that women are being made aware of the opportunities available to them. I am grateful to my colleague Senator Gadkar-Wilcox for approaching the committee with this concept and I’m pleased to see it pass the Senate with unanimous support.”

The legislation now heads to the House floor for passage.